Blindstitch sewing-machine.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

D. FLANAGAN. BLINDSTITCH SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY3 1905 3SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

D. FLANAGAN.

BLINDSTITGH SEWING MACHINE.

No. 856,999. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. n. FLANAGAN. BLINDSTITGH SEWINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

III" II DENIS FLANAGAN, OF CliAYllON-liF-MOORS, .ICNGLAND.

BLINDSTITCH SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Original application filed June 11, 1904, $erial No. 212,186. Dividedand this application filed TLil 3.1905. Serial No. 263,197-

fb 11/] Z whom it In/rt concern:

Be it known that I, DENIS FLANAGAN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and lreland, and a resident of Ulayton-le-Moors, in the countyof Lancaster, England, works manager, (whose post-ollice address is 26Oswald street, Claytonle-Moors,) have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Blindstitch Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification, being divided out of the pending application No. 212,136,liled June 11, 1904.

This invention relates to improvements in blind stitch sewing machinesor to such machines in which the needle instead of passing at rightangles through the cloth passes, on the other hand, in a direction moreor less parallel with the plane of the cloth and only through aportionof the thickness so that the stitches do not show on the face of thecloth.

The invention relates to improvements in the means for holding thefabric to be stitched, for adjusting part of the holding means withrelation to the needle and to other details which will be fully pointedout, in the following description and claims.

The invention will be fully described with reference to theacconniianying drawings in which V Figure 1 is a side elevation ol' themachine with my improvements attached, partly in section, Fig. 2 planpartly in section, Fig. 3 end elevation of same partly in section, Fig.4 transverse section of cloth plate to enlarged scale showing means ofoperating a slidable plate carried by the former, Fig. plan of same,Figs. 6 and 7 end elevation and plan, respectively, to enlarged scale olmodiiied arrangement of slidable plate and F 8 part longitudinal sectionof cloth plate, to enlarged scale, showing modilicd means of locking theplate in working position.

My invention particularly relates to that class of blind-stitch sewingmachine in which a substantially flat arm overhangs its point of supportso that its free end lies in proximity to the needle and is adapted tohave folded round it the material to be stitched.

In the drawings like parts are indicated by the same reference letters,and it should be said that the whole of the mechanism above the table isof the ordinary character used in these machines and as it forms no partof my invention is not illustrated beyond indicating the main carryingarm (L, the fly wheel I), with its grooved pulley.

y invention comprises an arm (1, arranged longitudinally ol" themachine. It is formed in one with or connected to a vertical pivot dpassing through a stationary pivot bearing d lixed in the bed (1 ol thesewing machine. This pivot is to enable the plate to be li'l'tedvertically and to be turned about it away rom the machine in thedirection ol the arrow in Fig. 2 to the position indicated by brokenlines in the same ligure or out ol its normal working position to enablethe shuttle to be readily placed into or taken l'rom its carrier 0without turning the whole body ol the machine over. it should here besaid that the shuttle and its operating mechanism lorm no part ol" myinvention and may be ol any ordinary type. A l urther object in thearrangement of the cloth plate is to enable it to be raised while thematerial to be stitched is being placed in position and afterward to beeasily dropped down on the material prior to commencing sewing. By meansol a spring 12 the cloth plate is pressed in a downward direction, thespring being adjusted by means ol a nut 0. hen in the lowermost positionthe cloth plate is held absolutely rigid both with relation to theneedle and with respectto any thickness of cloth or other material whichmay be passed round it to be operated upon.

f, Fig. 3 indicates the position ol the cloth.

The plate may be readily lifted to enable the fabric to be put under bysimple means, preferably, by a rotatable collar 9, surrounding thevertical stationary pivot bearing (V, such collar having one or morestuds 9 engaging with one or more screw grooves g in the bearings (1' sothat as the collar is rotated it will also rise against the underside ofthe plate and lift it up against the pressure of the spring 0. Thecollar may be rotated by a knob or handle 9' and the extent of itsrotary movement determines the vertical rise so that the cloth may bepassed between the feed wheels, without altering the position ol' thecloth plate, longitudinally. A greater rotary movement ol the collarlil'ts the cloth plate still further vertically so that it may be turnedabout its pivot to a position more or less at right angles to the bed ofthe machine, as indicated in Fig. 2, in which position it is entirelyout of the way of the needle and shuttle mechanism, enabling the latterto be easily available for changing shuttles. To lock the cloth plate inposition rigidly, during the normal working of the machine, a projectingportion 7L near to the pivot cl is adapted to engage with a verticalgroove h in the bed of the machine in which it fits tightly. Or in placeof this groove I may employ in the bed d a pin or stud h, preferablytapered and have a corresponding hole h in the underside of the clothplate 11 so that as the latter is pulled downward by the spring 6 theparts will be locked together and the inward longitudinal side of thecloth plate will be held perfectly rigid and within a defined distancefrom the flat face of the needle employed in this class of machinery.This latter arrangement is shown in Fig. 8.

Instead of moving the whole of the cloth plate bodily to adjust it toand from the flat face of the needle to determine the depth such needleshall penetrate into the cloth I employ a separate adjustable plate "Larranged transversely of the cloth plate (Z on its upper surface. Thisplate has a rounded edge 01 at the side nearest to the needle. The plateis adjusted by arranging it in transverse grooves i in the cloth plateand by the employment of an eccentric stud c passing through the plate,a cylindrical portion of the stud passing through a hole i in the clothplate (Z. The eccentric stud can be turned about its center by a leverj, preferably below the cloth plate, the movement of this lever causingthe adjustable plate to be readily moved nearer to or farther from theneedle. A stop j is used to prevent the adjustable plate being movedagainst the needle, and, further, the lever may be locked in anysuitable position required by simple means, if necessary. The lever isheld in position on the stud by nuts j.

The rounded edge of the adjustable plate i may be hardened to preventwear, or, instead of rounding it, I may employ a small roller 7c mountedin its front edge as indicated in Figs. 6 and '7.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the whole of theparts are simple in construction, positive in operation and efficientlyarranged for their purpose.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patentis 1. In a blind stitch sewing machine the means for holdin and su ortinthe fabric to be operated upon consisting of a cloth plate with anoverhanging end arranged longitudinally of the bed of the machine, avertical pivot for supporting said plate along the axis line of which itcan be raised in horizontal planes parallel with the top plane surfaceof the bedand about which axis it can be rotated away from the sewingneedle substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a blind stitch sewing machine the means for raising and loweringthe cloth plateconsisting of a vertically arranged pivot formed integralwith the cloth plate, a stationary pivot bearing fixed in the bed of themachine, screw grooves formed in the interior of said be ring, a loosecollar mounted upon the bearing, projections in the interior of thecollar engaging with the screw grooves, and means for rotating saidcollar substantially as described.

3. In a blind stitch sewing machine the means for raising and loweringthe cloth plate consisting of a vertically arranged pivot on theunderside of the cloth plate, a stationary pivot bearing fixed in thebed of the machine, screw grooves formed in the exterior of saidbearing, a loose collar mounted upon the bearing between the undersideof the cloth plate and the bed of the machine, projections in theinterior of the collar engaging with the screw groo es a handle on theexterior of the collar for rotating such, a spring surrounding the loweren d of the pivot and means for adjusting said spring substantially asdescribed.

l. In a blind stitch sewing machine the combination with the fabricsupporting plate of an adjustable plate located in grooves on the upperside of said supporting plate, and means for moving the adjustable platet0- ward and from the sewing needle, consisting of an eccentric studpassed through the plate and the supporting plate, a slot in thesupporting plate, a bush in the slot surrounding the eccentric stud, alever mounted on the stud and means for securing the lever in positionsubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

DENIS FLANAGAN. V

Witnesses:

VJILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR, HERBERT KIDSON.

